Upcoming Event: Skiing at Slalom on January 12, 2026
Skiing
at Slalom
The University of Utah Athletics
Thursday, January 8
Lake Placid, N.Y. / Mt. Van Hoevenberg
University of Utah
at
20K Freestyle (M)
Photo by Matan Coll
Gerard Skis to First RMISA Podium in 20K Freestyle Mass Start
1/8/2026 4:30 PM | Skiing
Utah wins College Cup and concludes Lake Placid races on Friday
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – The Utah Ski Team continued its strong start to the 2026 collegiate season on Thursday as the Utes raced 20K freestyle mass start events at Mt. Van Hoevenberg. The races were part of the U.S. Cross Country National Championships and also served as an RMISA qualifier.
Mons Melbye finished second overall in the men's race and had the top RMISA result, two days after the freshman Melbye won the overall U.S. Nationals men's skate sprint championship. On the women's side, Neve Gerard skied to her first RMISA podium with a third-place result.
The trio of Gerard, Melbye and Zachary Jayne have paced the Utes this week and been instrumental in Utah earning a sweep of the annual College Cup—presented to the top performing collegiate program at U.S. Nationals. The Utes claimed the men's, women's and overall awards. Additionally, Jayne was third overall in Tuesday's men's skate sprints and crowned the U.S. champion for that event.
Women's Race
Neve Gerard raced a time of 56:54.6 in the 20K freestyle mass start, putting Gerard top-eight in the overall results and tabbing the No. 3 spot in the RMISA race. She was in 10th place overall at the halfway point of the race and worked her way up to eighth as the final two laps played out.
Though not part of the RMISA results, Ally Wheeler won the junior women's 10K race that took place later on Thursday at Mt. Van Hoevenberg. With Wheeler's junior victory as well as Gerard's performances throughout the week, both have qualified for the FIS Nordic Junior World Championships which will take place in March.
Men's Race
Utah placed two athletes on the RMISA podium as Mons Melbye (47:37.7) claimed the victory with Zachary Jayne (47:49.1) taking third place. Both were in the top-five for the overall race.
Melbye was outside the overall top-20 at the 1.25K split, but quickly clawed his way back into the top-10. He made it into the top-five after the opening lap and never fell outside that group for the rest of the day.
In addition to third on the RMISA podium, Jayne skied to fifth place overall. He briefly fell to 11th while moving through the second lap but skied his way back toward the front, getting as high as third place during the final lap.
Next Up
The Utes will race in classic sprints competitions on Friday to wrap up the team's time at U.S. Nationals and the RMISA Invitational. The men's sprint qualifier begins at 8 a.m. MT, with the women's qualifier taking place at 9 a.m. Following the qualifiers, the races will move into the heat stages for the rest of the day.
Follow the Utah Ski Team on social media @utahskiteam. Download the Utah 360 app here.
Mons Melbye finished second overall in the men's race and had the top RMISA result, two days after the freshman Melbye won the overall U.S. Nationals men's skate sprint championship. On the women's side, Neve Gerard skied to her first RMISA podium with a third-place result.
The trio of Gerard, Melbye and Zachary Jayne have paced the Utes this week and been instrumental in Utah earning a sweep of the annual College Cup—presented to the top performing collegiate program at U.S. Nationals. The Utes claimed the men's, women's and overall awards. Additionally, Jayne was third overall in Tuesday's men's skate sprints and crowned the U.S. champion for that event.
Women's Race
Neve Gerard raced a time of 56:54.6 in the 20K freestyle mass start, putting Gerard top-eight in the overall results and tabbing the No. 3 spot in the RMISA race. She was in 10th place overall at the halfway point of the race and worked her way up to eighth as the final two laps played out.
Though not part of the RMISA results, Ally Wheeler won the junior women's 10K race that took place later on Thursday at Mt. Van Hoevenberg. With Wheeler's junior victory as well as Gerard's performances throughout the week, both have qualified for the FIS Nordic Junior World Championships which will take place in March.
Men's Race
Utah placed two athletes on the RMISA podium as Mons Melbye (47:37.7) claimed the victory with Zachary Jayne (47:49.1) taking third place. Both were in the top-five for the overall race.
Melbye was outside the overall top-20 at the 1.25K split, but quickly clawed his way back into the top-10. He made it into the top-five after the opening lap and never fell outside that group for the rest of the day.
In addition to third on the RMISA podium, Jayne skied to fifth place overall. He briefly fell to 11th while moving through the second lap but skied his way back toward the front, getting as high as third place during the final lap.
Next Up
The Utes will race in classic sprints competitions on Friday to wrap up the team's time at U.S. Nationals and the RMISA Invitational. The men's sprint qualifier begins at 8 a.m. MT, with the women's qualifier taking place at 9 a.m. Following the qualifiers, the races will move into the heat stages for the rest of the day.
Follow the Utah Ski Team on social media @utahskiteam. Download the Utah 360 app here.
Players Mentioned
Nordic
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Nordic
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Nordic
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Nordic
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